They are all characters I control.

“Mother Martha,” Claire suddenly spoke.

"Ok?"

Who are my parents?

Chapter 35: My business again?

Who are my parents?

Claire's voice wasn't loud, but her question was very direct.

Mother Martha paused for a moment.

A cotton cloth soaked in medicine was held above Claire's wound on her calf, and the medicine dripped down one drop at a time.

The wound stung a little, but Claire didn't frown.

He simply looked at Mother Martha, into the eyes of his 'mother'.

When the nun had no flaws, this was the only way Claire could break the deadlock.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

The only sounds were the dripping of medicinal wine and the bubbling of oatmeal porridge on the stove.

Sister Martha lowered her head and continued applying the medicated wine.

The movements were slower and gentler than before, as if wiping something precious.

She carefully wiped away the bloodstains from the edges of Claire's (Eleanor's) wound, then took a clean roll of bandage from her bosom and began to bandage it.

Sister Martha tucked the end of the bandage into the coil, stood up, and walked to the window.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling softly on her hair. Her back was to Claire, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“You’ve grown up.” Her voice was a little hoarse. “It’s about time you realized that.”

Claire didn't say anything.

He sat on the edge of the bed, watching the nun's thin back.

“Twenty years ago, there was a church knight,” Sister Martha began slowly, her voice soft as if afraid of disturbing something. “He was very powerful, an elite of the Holy Lance Knights. He participated in the battle against the evil god emperor and made great contributions.”

Claire was somewhat helpless.

No, why do I have my own things to do again?

"But in one battle, he was severely injured by the Evil God Emperor. It was not an ordinary injury, but a trauma to the soul."

"Holy magic cannot cure it, and medicine cannot alleviate it."

"So he was sent back to the rear and placed in the care of the convent."

Sister Martha turned around and leaned against the window frame, her deep brown eyes looking at Claire, but her gaze seemed to be looking into the far, far distance.

"The nun who took care of him was very young. She hadn't seen much of the world and hadn't learned any advanced medical skills."

"That nun only knew how to cook, sew, and recite prayers. But she was very dedicated, staying by his bedside every day to feed him, bathe him, and change his dressings."

"The knight's wounds healed slowly, not through treatment, but through time. He stayed at the convent for a year, and the young nuns took care of him for that entire year."

"Then, the knight returned to the battlefield, and the nun went with him. They disappeared in the battle where the evil god emperor was sealed away. No one found their bodies, only a child was left behind."

Mother Martha's voice trembled slightly, and she looked very sad.

These were undoubtedly memories she didn't want anyone to touch, but now she had told them all.

Claire could roughly guess what would happen next.

"The child was given to someone else to raise, the nun and the knight's friend."

She looked at Claire—no, at Eleanor's body.

"That child is you."

Claire's expression remained unchanged, feigning a deep shock.

"I also went to look for the knight and the nun's bodies, but I still couldn't find them. I only found some of their belongings, such as weapons and pieces of clothing."

Mother Martha's voice was very soft, very soft.

"I didn't tell you about my background because I was afraid you would hate your father and hate him for returning to the battlefield in the first place."

"Actually, I don't want you to become a knight. That path is too difficult and too dangerous. I just want our child to grow up safely, marry into a good family, and live an ordinary life."

"But you still became a knight, an excellent church knight, just like your father."

Sister Martha looked at Claire, wiping her eyes.

No matter how you look at her, she seems like a loving mother.

She has been taking care of her friend's child without complaint to this day. Although it may not be a huge contribution, it is still worthy of respect.

Claire (Eleanor) remained silent for a long time.

This story is complete, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It features heroes, love, and sacrifice. It contains regrets, tears, and forgiveness.

Everything was just right, like a script that had been meticulously crafted countless times.

“What’s his name?” Claire asked.

"what?"

"My father, his name."

Sister Martha paused for a moment, then said, "William. William Redgrave."

“Redgrave,” Claire repeated, “my last name.”

"Yes."

Where is his grave?

Mother Martha walked to the cabinet, took a yellowed piece of paper from the drawer, and handed it to Claire.

“On the hillside north of the village. There is a cemetery there, and his tombstone is on the far east side. I go there to clean it every year.”

Claire took the paper.

It's a hand-drawn map that marks the locations of villages, hillsides, and cemeteries.

The paper was old, with worn edges and corners, and the creases were almost torn, as if it had been flipped through countless times.

“You can go and see him,” Mother Martha said gently. “He probably wants to see you too.”

Claire folded the map and tucked it into her bosom.

"I will go."

He stood up and walked towards the door.

“Eleanor.” Mother Martha’s voice came from behind.

Claire stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

“No matter what happens, I believe in you,” Mother Martha said softly. “You’re a good boy. You wouldn’t do anything bad.”

Claire remained silent for a moment.

"Thank you."

He pushed open the door and went out.

In the yard, Grace was squatting by the well, helping Megan wash her face.

Megan held the dead cat's body somewhat reluctantly, but Grace held her down.

"Female knight, come help me hold Megan down! This guy is surprisingly dirty, filthy! I don't know how long it's been since he took a shower! Hmm? Where are you going?"

“I’m planning to visit my father’s grave,” Claire replied casually.

"To the cemetery?" Grace wasn't interested.

"...!"

Megan was intrigued, and taking advantage of Grace's distraction, she suddenly stood up, broke free from Grace, and ran towards Claire.

This gloomy woman was clearly interested in things like corpses, cemeteries, and death.

Grace, soaked by Megan, watched the two leave her behind and followed them.

"Wait a minute, you two! Don't walk so fast! I'm going too!"

The departing figures of the three people were all seen by Sister Martha, who was standing by the window.

Watching Claire (Eleanor) walk away, the seemingly gentle and considerate nun, who was like a mother, revealed an unprecedented coldness on her face.

Chapter 36 This isn't my dad

It must be said that Mother Martha's story is very good.

The problem is that he has heard far too many versions of the same story.

Every child who loses their parents seems to have a similar story. Only the names, the times, and the places are different.

It's too perfect, so perfect it's like a template.

Of course, these factors were not enough for Claire to persist in doubting Sister Martha; the most important reason was Eleanor's health.

Putting aside the fact that Mel, who had turned into a little girl, seemed to treat Eleanor with special favor, let's just talk about Eleanor's unusual reaction after she ate the Philosopher's Stone.

The fact that the Chosen Ones could absorb the Philosopher's Stone without any rejection and with perfect absorption of the Philosopher's Stone has shocked many people, including the old village chief Gray and the Scarlet Witch Dorothy.

This is clearly not innate; it has been cultivated.

If what Sister Martha said is true, and Eleanor grew up by her side, then she couldn't possibly be unaware of Eleanor's abnormal constitution.

Unless she herself was the one who created this anomaly, after all, Sister Martha, who had taken care of Eleanor since she was a child, had plenty of opportunities and time to gradually improve Eleanor's body.

But what is her purpose? It can't be said that it's for Eleanor, can it?

Mother Martha is most likely a member of the Church of Life. So, what does she want to do with Eleanor? Or is Eleanor herself a Philosopher's Stone, or even a purer form of Primal Blood than the Philosopher's Stone?

Claire was unsure, so she was on her way to finding the answer.

The hillside north of the village isn't very high, but the road is difficult to travel.

Claire walked at the front, clutching the yellowed map in her hand, glancing up every now and then to check the direction.

Megan followed behind him, holding the shriveled dead cat in her arms, her steps light and quick, unlike someone who had been locked up for who knows how long.

Grace lagged behind, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth, cursing with every step she took.

"What a terrible road! It's all pebbles, so sharp they've blistered my feet! Hey, you two, aren't you saying a word? What's so fun about going to a cemetery?"

Claire ignored her.

He was searching through Eleanor's memories... no, he was searching through his own memories from over a hundred years ago.

William Redgrave.

He vaguely recognized the name, but not much.

Over a hundred years have passed, and he has seen and killed far too many church knights; he can't remember them all.

What he remembers are the special ones.

For example, there is a knight who is quite capable in combat, and the opponent's combat power is extremely terrifying.

Moreover, they always unleash considerable fighting power when there are many people, and the more people there are, the stronger they become.

During battles, he would often shout things like "bonds," "friendship," and "let's work together," which even Claire had to avoid in the past.

Of course, that was also the first time Claire learned of the existence of the 'Origin' weapon.

The church knight was wielding the original weapon at the time, but whether it was the broken sword he was carrying was unclear.

As for the knight who suffered mental trauma and the nun who took care of the church knight that Sister Martha mentioned, such identities are too common.

Claire always likes to unleash a wave of mental pain magic before engaging in battle, to shake the will of those weak-willed minions, and also to weaken those resolute but wounded church knights.

At that time, many church knights had suffered psychological trauma from Claire's actions, and he couldn't remember who Mother Martha was referring to.

"We're here." Megan's voice interrupted Claire's thoughts.